Projectile



(No Model.)

PROJEGTILE.

Patented Mar. 3, 1885.

Ewen tor UNITED STATES PATENT Genres.

LUGIEN HOPSON, OF LAMPASAS, TEXAS.

PRQJECTILE.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent NO. 313,075, dated March 3, 1885.

Application filed September 6, 1884. (X0 model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern..-

Be it known that I, LUOIEN Horson, a citizen of the United States of Ameiica, and of Lampasas, in the county of Lampasas and State of Texas, have madeanew and useful improvement in explosive projectiles for the purpose of penetrating iron or steel clad ships at very long range, and also to operate as a shell to blow them up; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the shell; Fig. 5, a longitudinal section of the same; Fig. 2, a top view of the shell; Fig. 3, the upper or the plan view of the sabot or driver; Fig. 4, the bottom or concave end view of the driver. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section of the driver.

The shell, Fig. 1, is a cylinder terminating in a triangular pyramid at the top and in an.

ellipsoidal cone at the bottom with a quadrangular termination at the base of the shell.

A, Fig. 1, represents one of the faces of the triangular pyramid, terminating in a point at 19.

B represents the cylindrical portion of the shell.

0 0 represent two bands, one on each end of the cylindrical portion. These bands project beyond the circumference of the cylindrical portion sufficiently to fill the rifles of the gun from which the shell is designed to be projected. These bands are countersunk into the body of the shell to a sufficient depth to prevent them from being blown or forced off. The width and thickness of these bands may vary according to the diameter of the shell.

0 represents the conoidal portion from the band 0 to the squared portion of the base of the shell at (Z cl. The base of the shell is squared by cutting away the metal from'the four opposite sides from the dotted lines dd to the base of the shell at e e. The length of the shell for a three-inch-caliber gun should be eight inches; but this proportion may be varied according to the purpose for which the shell is designed. The length of the head of the shell from the front band should be three inches. The length of the conoidal portion of the shell from the rear band, 0, to the base body of the shell to prevent windage and fill the rides of the gun. These bands should be of brass or some other soft metal capable of being compressed into the grooves of the gun, in order to give the shell the spiral motion.

G 0 represent the rear end of the shell from the rear band; 0 c, the base of the shell at b.

The dotted lines (1 ed 6 represent the square tenon on the base of the shell, fitted to enter a square mortise in the upper surface of the driver for the purpose of giving the spiral motion to the shell.

GG represent the cavity in the rear end of the shell for the purpose of containing the explosive motive material. The cavity may be greater or smaller, according to the purpose for which the shell is designed. V

A A A, Fig. 2, represent the three faces of the triangular head of the shell. The head of the shell should be of the best of cast-steel welded onto the wrought -iron body of the shell, either in slabs or by being jumped on solid.

0, Fig. 3, represents a top view of the flat or plane surface of the driver or sabot.

The dotted lines on the upper surface of the driver represent the square mortise to receive the square tenon of the shell.

E, Fig. 4, represents the expanding rim of the driver. The purpose of this flange or rim on the driveris to close the windagein the bore of the gun and to cause the driver to take the grooves of the rifles.

D represents the flat surface of the driver within the circumference of the metallic expansive rim.

D, Fig. 6, represents alongitudinal section of the wrought-iron body of the driver turned to its proper dimensions in a lathe. The diameter of the driver is .05 of aninch less than the bore of the gun, in order to facilitate loading and prevent cramping in the bore of the gun when loaded from the muzzle. The whole thickness of the driver is one inch for a threeinch bore. The diameter of the driver for a three-inch gun is 2.95 inches. The upper porinner surface of the rim is seen at 0 0.

f to f. The thickness of this portion from f v and a so to fill the rifles to communicate the tion of the driver should be of soft wroughtiron extending across its whole diameter from to g is .35 of an inch. In the middle portion a groove is turned .35 of an inch in width, and of sufficient depth to prevent the rim from being detached from the body of the driver by the force of the charge.

9 h represent the depth of this groove, and h i the width. I v

z j represent the thickness of the remaining portion of the body of the d,ri ver-.3 of an inch in thickness.

E E represent the metallic expansive rim, of brass or other expansive metal capable of being expanded by the force of the charge, so as to close the windage-in the bore of the gun,

spiral motion to the shell. The inner face of the rim or flange is slightly beveled to facilitate expansion, giving the driver a slightly-concave surface in the rear. I This bevel on the The'dotted lines m m 11 represent the square mortise in the center of the front surface of I the driver, to receive the corresponding square 'tenon on the rear end of the shell, to aid the driver in giving the shell the spiral motion. This mortise may vary in depth and width ac cording to the size of the shell and the spiral motion required. e

What I claim asmy improvement, and desire I to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. Aprojectile with a solid triangular head and conoidal-shaped rear end, in combination with an expansible driver attached at the rear,

substantially as set forth.

.2. A projectile having a solid triangular head and hollow rear end conoidal in form,

.in combination with an expansible metallic driver, substantially as described.

3. A projectile having a solid triangular steel-faced head and conoidal rear extremity united by a cylindrical section, substantially as described. 7

LUOIEN HOPSON.

Witnesses:

D. P. LOWE, M. J. MOORE. 

